install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%

brew install libiconv

local Homebrew formula metadata

MacPortsverified · 94%

sudo port install libiconv

MacPorts ports tree · textproc/libiconv/Portfile · source: api.github.com

Linux

Nixverified · 92%

nix profile install nixpkgs#libiconv

nixpkgs package indexes · libiconv · source: raw.githubusercontent.com

Arch Linux pacmanverified · 92%

sudo pacman -S libiconv

Arch Linux sync databases · libiconv · source: geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com

Windows

Scoopverified · 92%

scoop install main/iconv

Scoop official bucket manifest trees · bucket/iconv.json · source: api.github.com

overview

Package summary

Conversion library

Project links

Commands and aliases

iconv

history

Project history and usage

GNU libiconv is the GNU character-set conversion library for systems that lack a usable iconv implementation or lack Unicode-capable conversions.

Project history

The GNU project page frames libiconv around the internet-era problem of moving text among Unicode and older language- or country-dependent encodings. It provides both the iconv() library interface and an iconv command-line program.

GNU libiconv's long-term role has been portability rather than novelty: it supplies consistent conversion support on platforms where libc iconv is absent, incomplete, or not compatible with the encodings an application needs.

Adoption history

The package became common in Unix packaging because many projects use Autoconf tests for iconv and need a fallback on macOS, BSD, Windows ports, or older commercial Unix systems.

The GNU documentation explicitly calls out GNU gettext integration and the circular first-install relationship between gettext and libiconv on some systems, which is why packagers often care about bootstrap order.

How it is used

Developers link against libiconv through iconv_open, iconv, and iconv_close, while users can call the iconv program to convert files or streams between encodings. Build systems commonly surface it through LIBICONV or LTLIBICONV substitutions.

Why package nerds care

libiconv is one of the classic portability packages: invisible when libc has enough charset support, essential when it does not. It also exposes subtle packaging choices around libc replacement, gettext, locale charsets, and whether a dependency should use the system iconv or GNU's implementation.

For package maintainers, it is a reminder that text encoding is infrastructure. A tiny mismatch in iconv availability can decide whether internationalized software builds or produces correct output.

Timeline

1998: GNU libiconv documentation carries Free Software Foundation copyright from this period.
2024: GNU libiconv 1.18 release notes described POSIX:2024 API compatibility work.
2026: The GNU project page documented libiconv 1.19 source and manuals.

Related projects

GNU gettext is closely related because gettext can use libiconv for message conversion and shares build-system history around iconv.m4.
glibc iconv is the main system implementation that may make GNU libiconv unnecessary on GNU/Linux systems.
POSIX iconv is the standard API surface that libiconv implements for portable software.

Sources

security posture

Risk level: green

library-like package without higher-risk signals.

Risk classifier

green risk · low confidence · appliance

Why

library-like package without higher-risk signals

Signals

metadata:library-like

Install behavior

No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 4 platform targets.
Build metadata lists 2 build dependencies.

Recommended review

Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.

executables

Installed executables

Command	Kind	Exposure	Note
`iconv`	cli	global executable

freshness

Version and freshness

These signals separate page generation age, package-manager activity, and upstream release comparison. Version lag is warned only when an evidence URL and comparable versions are present.

page generated2026-07-08

manager version1.19

manager updated

local dataok

upstreamnot checked

latest detectednot detected

https://www.gnu.org/software/libiconv/

infoNo package-manager update timestamp was available.low confidence
infoRelease/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories.https://www.gnu.org/software/libiconv/none confidence

install metadata

Package metadata

Package key	brew:libiconv
Version	1.19
Package manager	Homebrew
Package manager page	https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/libiconv
Homepage	https://www.gnu.org/software/libiconv/
Repository	https://git.savannah.gnu.org/git/libiconv.git
Upstream docs	https://www.gnu.org/software/libiconv
License	GPL-3.0-or-later AND LGPL-2.0-or-later
Source archive	https://ftpmirror.gnu.org/gnu/libiconv/libiconv-1.19.tar.gz
Build dependencies	autoconf, automake
Uses from macOS	gperf
Bottle	available (on arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma)
Homebrew post-install	not defined
Service	none declared

registry facts

Source database details

Source Database	Homebrew formula API
Tap	homebrew/core
Full Name	libiconv
Version Scheme	0
Revision	0
Requirements	macos
Bottle Stable Root URL	https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecated	no
Disabled	no
Keg Only	yes
URL Keys	stable

source database matches

Other package-manager records

Matches are pulled from external package-manager indexes and kept separate from local Automic Vault package links.

Nix95%

libiconv

nix profile install nixpkgs#libiconv

normalized package name match
Matched by: Libiconv

nixpkgs package indexes · raw.githubusercontent.com · nixpkgs package indexes: libiconv from https://raw.githubusercontent.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/master/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix

pacman95%

libiconv 1.19-1

GNU charset conversion library

http://www.gnu.org/software/libiconv/

sudo pacman -S libiconv

License: LGPL-2.1-only AND GPL-3.0-only
Architecture: x86_64
1 dependencies
normalized package name match
Matched by: Libiconv

Arch Linux sync databases · geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com · Arch Linux sync databases: libiconv from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz

MacPorts95%

libiconv

sudo port install libiconv

normalized package name match
Matched by: Libiconv

MacPorts ports tree · api.github.com · MacPorts ports tree: textproc/libiconv/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1

Nix92%

iconv

nix profile install nixpkgs#iconv

installed executable or alias match
Matched by: Iconv

nixpkgs package indexes · raw.githubusercontent.com · nixpkgs package indexes: iconv from https://raw.githubusercontent.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/master/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix

Scoop92%

main/iconv

scoop install main/iconv

installed executable or alias match
Matched by: Iconv

Scoop official bucket manifest trees · api.github.com · Scoop official bucket manifest trees: bucket/iconv.json from https://api.github.com/repos/ScoopInstaller/Main/git/trees/master?recursive=1

package graph

Links come from deterministic package relationships, av.db category and tag curation, ecosystem matches, and package hub membership.

source trail

Generated from repository data

This page is generated by av-web from the private package SQLite artifact built by scripts/generate-pkg-sqlite.py.

Combined YAML source

View the package source record on GitHub.

combined/libiconv.yml

Used sources

Geiger risk classifier
Nucleus package database
av.db category and tag curation
cross-ecosystem install command graph
curated package history
external package-manager database matches
package relationship graph
package version freshness
package-page enrichment

Install libiconv with Homebrew, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, scoop